Storm
by artinwords06
Summary: Abby Shale moved to La Push, Washington to get away from it all. But what is she supposed to do when she ends up in the middle of something even more serious than what she was trying to escape?
1. Preface

Preface

He just sat there, looking so peaceful and still, but angry at the same time. How could somebody be so beautiful? I wanted to know him, to meet him and tell him my name, and to learn his. I wanted to look at his eyes and see what color they were, to compare his height to mine, to determine the exact shade of his hair. I wanted to walk up the steps carved into the steep cliff, tap his shoulder, and say "hi, my name is Abby. I want to get to know you." But I couldn't. He was like a raging storm, packed into one human body that stood at the top of this cliff. And as I watched on in horror, the beautiful storm leapt off the cliff and dove deep into the Pacific Ocean. He only looked up at me right before his body slammed into the water.


	2. Back in the Day

Welcome to _Storm_! Please keep all hands, feet, and any other body parts on you that stick out in the vehicle at all times. For those of you with your mind in the gutter, go ahead and giggle away. Har dee har har. :)

Name's Abby, I'm writing this right now, and I appreciate you all reading this. If it sucks, don't tell me. Ignorance is bliss.

I own nada. Zip. Zero. Except for my lovely characters.

Love, Abby. Xoxo.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Back in the Day...

_Abby Shale - age 16_

_Location - Fifth hour American History_

The intercom in the room made a loud doorbell type of sound, and Mary Jay's voice filled the room, making me and a few other kids wince.

"Mrs. Bolito? Could you send Abby Shale to the office please?" Mrs. Bolito looked up at the intercom, as if it was a person, and answered it with a happy chirp. I quickly gathered my stuff up into one arm and yanked the door open, giving one last glance to my best friend Nicole, who was looking at me with a worried expression. I hurried down the hall, passing the janitor, Robbie, who was sweeping the floors. I lifted my head and smiled quickly at him, then almost sprinted to the office. Mary Jay looked up at me from scowling at a stack of papers while talking lowly on the phone and motioned to the councilor's office. My stomach flipped. _Not mom. Please God, not mom._ I set my books on the counter and walked into the office slowly, hoping that maybe if I walked slow enough, the terrible news would disappear. It never worked though.

For the last year of high school, I lived with my Nan. Nan was actually named Betsy, but people called her Bets or Bet. Nana Bets. Which was shortened to Nan when I was born, much to the dislike of the boys. Oh, the boys. My brothers actually, named Daniel and Luc Shale. They were twins, but they were definitely _not_ the same people. Daniel was the oldest, but only by two minutes, and had a hankering for anything mechanical. He built his first engine when he was eleven years old with the help of our Uncle Stitches. He was called Stitches because he had had stitches thirty two times and counting. The man was a mess. Luc on the other hand, was all books. He was a library, filled with poems and novels and short stories, autobiographies and how-to books. But both of them were amazing older brothers who stuck up for me and would give me the clothes off of their backs. They'd just knock me down and tease me first.

So, fast forward a bit. Get this scene in your head:

_A hearse is sitting on the gravel drive in the back of the old cemetery. Big Oak trees sit tall, shading the latest funeral's attendants from the warm sun. There are chairs set up all around a big, gaping hole in the ground, and a casket is being lowered into it. It's sunny out, and there is a soft September breeze. The air smells like flowers, grass, and newly unearthed soil. All you can hear are soft cries, murmurs, and the gravel crunching under bare feet running down the road. _

That person running? Yeah, that's me. Running away from my mother's funeral, barefoot. Why you may ask? Well, it's kind of hard to run in heels on a gravel road. Oh, you mean why am I running from my mom's funeral? Well, let's see. My father (that's his legal title. I have to call him that. I would have rather called him the demon spawn... but I can't cause he paid for my car insurance) brought some floozy, who probably isn't even entitled to being called a floozy because she is so plain, to my mother's funeral. Pardon my French, but who the _fuck_ brings a date to their dead ex-wife's funeral!? Can you see how much this enraged me? I mean, and then the bitch has the nerve to come up to me and give me a hug! And, being the outspoken kind of girl that I am, I pulled away from her, looked her in the eye, and said "What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Actually, that was just the beginning. I went off on a semi-quiet rant, trying to get how wrong this situation was through her thick, idiotic skull. She smiled, and walked away, sauntering (or at least trying to with her nonexistant hips that were hidden under an ugly, knee length black dress) towards my demon spawn of a father, hugging him and giving him a kiss while scowling at me. So this is how my story starts. With a death, some family, and an ugly woman who was about to ruin my life. My name is Abigail Cassia Shale, and I am a disaster. Welcome to my world.


	3. What do You Call the Spawn of Satan?

Hi Guys! So sorry for not posting in absolutely _forever_! Anyways, this is a short chapter that isn't all that great. But have fun with it! It just kind of starts my story off. k

Oh, and by the way, I own NOTHING! Well, except for a few t-shirts, a pack of M&M's, and my own characters.

Love, Abby. Xoxo.

* * *

**Chapter Two**

What do You Call the Spawn of Satan's Spawn and Medusa?

_Abby Shale - age 21_

_Location - Nan's house, Stockton, MO_

"That no good little fucker! Sorry sweets, but come on! The man is fifty years old and she's _pregnant!?_" Nan was livid. Daniel, Luc and I sat at the breakfast bar in Nan's kitchen, drinking her trademark Chai tea and eating peach cobbler. What a combination. "When is she due?" Nan asked lowly, swirling a spoon in her tea.

"March 17th." Luc mumbled, staring down into the antique tea cup that he had filled with coffee instead of tea. '_Tea is for chicks'_ he had said. And he had earned a slap to the back of the head from Nan. Daniel nodded.

"Well kids, you're all outta his house, so I'd just say to deal with the bitch. You know, you don't have to put up with them unless you want to." she said, tipping her cup towards us.

"That poor baby though! I mean, it's gonna be so screwed up!" Daniel cried. That was deep for 'Wrench' Shale.

So, every weekend that we could, Luc, Daniel and I would go to Nan's and discuss our life problems with her, gaining her sixty eight years worth of knowledge. And one weekend, on Sunday, March 17th, Avery Marisol Shale was born. She weighed seven pounds, ten ounces, and looked nothing like her mother. _Thank the Lord_. Nan had said. _That woman is ugly as sin. _Avery was a doll. She looked a lot like our Grandma Shale, who was a cold hearted witch, but was a beautiful woman with dark brown hair and violet eyes. She had fair skin, like her half brothers and sister, and dark curls. By the time she was three months, she had thick curls that covered her head. Oh, but before I forget, let's fast forward about a month ahead, to a warm July night.

Cue italics and dramatic speak: _It was a dark, warm night. A wet breeze swept through the air, sending goosebumps over my flesh. I was babysitting Avery while Dad and Steph, AKA Medusa, were out at the fair grounds, having dinner with the Lidds. Avery was asleep in my arms as we rocked in the porch swing on Nan's back porch. Cicadas chirped loudly outside, and the branches in the trees swayed, their leaves brushing against one another softly. The screen door to the kitchen opened, and Nan stepped through, carrying a tray with two cups of tea on it. I watched her quietly as she removed her cheetah print reading glasses and set them on the coffee table and sighed, taking a long sip of her tea. _

_ "Abby honey, the Sheriff just called." I looked up at her, carefully shifting Avery in my arms. Nan didn't look as energetic and pert as usual. I frowned._

_ "What is it?" I asked slowly._

_ "Hun, Steph and Mike have been in a car accident." Shit. I looked down at Avery, who was sound asleep in my arms. "They're dead sweetheart. I'm sorry."_

When my "father" and Steph died, Luc, Daniel and I were left with everything. The house, the cars, their dogs, all of the money, our dad's practice. Our dad was a chiropractor, a back cracking, big burly man with black curls and a big Mafia worthy mustache. He was an asshole, and a horrible father. He bought his love, and he seemed to have no conscience. But he was my father. No matter how much I hated him, there was still a bit of love there. Along with everything else that I was left with, I also got custody of Avery.

"Miss Shale, you were the only person who your father saw as fit to raise a child." Alex said. Alexander Lee was my father's attorney who I had gone to when I learned that Avery was legally my responsibility now. Of course, living in a very small town and knowing practically everyone, people were suspicious when I came home from college with a baby who looked like me. So, the rumors spread, and I got stared at, whispered about in the grocery store, and pointed out when I was walking around town, known as "that Shale girl who had a baby in college". There was even a rumor that Avery was one of the Jonas Brother's baby or Bono's, which was either started by senile old women in the nursing home, or junior high kids that happened to know me. Not many people knew the truth about Avery, and I didn't bother to tell them. Let them think what they want. The people who were my true friends and polite enough to come straight to me and clear the air were the ones that I respected. But sadly, only a few people actually did this. So I took a job with a small photography company in Washington and decided to move out there and start a new life.

"Oh my God Abby! You're moving away from me?!" Nicole and Nan screeched at the same time, their eyes wide as saucers. I nodded, hoisting Avery up higher on my hip.

"You can come visit whenever you want. And hey, don't worry, it's only for a while. It's really a great opportunity guys! I'm gonna be making tons more money than I am here." I said, trying to talk it up a bit. I didn't tell them that I already had bought a house when I had visited last time.

"Do you have a house lined up?" Nan asked.

"Yeah, oh Nan, it's great! Maybe you could come help decorate! It's so cute!" I gushed, sounding oh so girly. Nan grinned widely. Luc and Daniel both looked up from their spots on Nan's huge couch.

"Does that mean that we have to help you move?" Luc asked. I smiled.

"Yes."


	4. U Suck Moving Vans

Dear Reader,

Two chapters in one night!? WHAT?!?! Thats right folks! For a limited time only, you'll be getting new chapters more often for ONLY sixty seven payments of $19.99!!!

I had some time on my hands (which is rare and should probably been put towards school work or something... Who cares about education though!!) so I tied up some loose ends in my chapters that were left over and posted the suckers up! Yayyy! Aren't you proud.. Heheh. I'm going to quit babbling now because I highly doubt anyone really cares what I did, so get to reading!

I own only the characters whose names you haven't seen in the Twilight Series.

Love, Abby. Xoxo.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

U-Suck Moving Vans

_Abby Shale - age 22_

_Location - The New House, La Push, WA_

"Abby, what the hell do you own that is this fucking heavy!?" Nicole cried, her arms shaking as she hauled in a huge box that was most likely full of large wooden shelves I had bought from a flea market. The poor girl had sweat beaded at her brow, her thick blonde hair swept back into a messy little pony tail that looked too cute for moving shit into my new house.

"Honey, just set that down on the coffee table. We'll let Danny boy unpack that." I smiled. I ran my cloth with furniture polish on it down the old wooden banister, wiping off a layer of dust and grime. Gross. The new house was beautiful, but super old and dusty. Avery had to be kept out of it until we had cleaned the entire place, every nook and cranny in the place.

I had moved to a smaller two story farm sort of house that sat just outside of La Push, since I couldn't live on the reservation because I wasn't Native. It was halfway between the rez and Forks, and sat back in a small clearing, surrounded by tall trees with a long gravel drive leading to the house. (Which was really hard to get a stupid moving van down without breaking tree branches and mirrors off) It was a gray/green house with a heavy wooden door and slate colored shutters. Daniel came flying down the stairs, laughing wildly and covered in feathers.

"Let me guess." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. "Luc found an old pillow or something stuffed with feathers?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. HIs grin faltered, but he just laughed loudly once again and pulled me into a big hug, causing feathers to stick in my hair and to my clothes. Nicole was now laughing with Luc, who was also covered from head to toe in feathers. I looked up at him and actually _saw _him. The way he looked at Nicole was amazing. I had never noticed how in love he looked. Poor Luc would never have a chance if he didn't just speak his mind to her though. Nicole had no time for men. She didn't really think that she was as beautiful as she was, and most men were intimidated by her uninterested attitude towards them. _Please God, give Luc a chance._ The doorbell chimed loudly, breaking Luc out of his trance. I swung the door open and looked up at a tall, tanned man standing next to a small woman with the same tanned skin holding a large pie pan. Her face had three long scars that ran down it, pulling the corner of her eye and mouth down. She was still radiantly beautiful, and smiling at me widely.

"Hi! I'm Emily! This is Sam, my fiance." she said, smiling up at the giant man standing next to her who was looking at her lovingly.

"Hi." he said, his deep voice echoing through the empty room. He peered around me at the room. "Whoa. Mrs. Hannah sure did let this place get in bad shape. If you ever need and help around here, you can call us. I've got a big group of guys who could help out." he said.

"That would be great! But you don't know me, I mean.. Uh, I'm Abby by the way. Abby Shale. These are my brothers, Luc and Daniel, and this is Nicole, my best friend." I said pointing out everyone. Emily and Sam smiled and chatted a bit with everyone, and then Emily handed me the pie platter, along with telling me all of their phone numbers in case I ever needed them.

"My homemade _Out of this World Pie_. It's Sam and all of the family's favorite. So welcome to the neighborhood!" I thanked Emily at least twenty times before they left and I had to go back to working on the house. I finally decided that we all needed a break after about four more hours of working. I decided to take a drive through the reservation, pulling onto a street that led to a small park by the ocean. I walked down the edge of the beach, staring up at the tall cliffs that lined the ocean. All grays and greens and browns, except for a flash of russet skin and black hair. I squinted, looking harder through the fog. There was a man at the top of the cliff, and he was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.

_He just sat there, looking so peaceful and still, but angry at the same time. How could somebody be so beautiful? I wanted to know him, to meet him and tell him my name, and to learn his. I wanted to look at his eyes and see what color they were, to compare his height to mine, to determine the exact shade of his hair. I wanted to walk up the steps carved into the steep cliff, tap his shoulder, and say "hi, my name is Abby. I want to get to know you." But I couldn't. He was like a raging storm, packed into one human body that stood at the top of this cliff. And as I watched on in horror, the beautiful storm leapt off the cliff and dove deep into the Pacific Ocean. He only looked up at me right before his body slammed into the water. _

I didn't realize that I had screamed until I was scrambling up from my spot in the sand, rushing towards the gray water that churned in the ocean.

"Oh my God!" I cried, wading into the water. Why the fuck would somebody just dive off of a huge cliff into the ocean? Was he suicidal? He did look sort of upset. I just stood with my bare legs in the salty water, tears pricking at my eyes as I searched the horizon for any sign of the beautiful man who had maybe just tried to commit suicide. A low chuckle rumbled in my ear, and I spun to look to my left. He stood there, dripping wet, in a pair of gym shorts and nothing else, his short black hair inky and dripping. God, he was beautiful. Bright white teeth against darks skin and a muscled body. Gorgeous. My hand clutched my chest. He just stood there and grinned at me, staring at my shocked face.

"Are- are you okay? That- wow. That was a long fall!" I cried, Throwing my hands up in the air for emphasis and looking him over to make sure nothing was bleeding. He laughed quietly again, sticking his dripping hand out to me.

"I'm Embry Call. You new here?" he asked softly, his deep voice rough and like music to my ears. Wow. When did I get so cliche?

"I'm Abby Shale. Yeah, I just moved here with, uh, my "daughter"." I said, quirking my fingers. He raised his eyebrows, and his smile dropped. Great. There goes a potential buyer. "What- ah, are you married? And why the little quotes?" he asked. I shook my head fervently.

"No! Ah.. no. I'm not married. And I'm just Avery's legal guardian. Her parents died, and they left her to me. I mean, our parents, well, I mean- Ugh." I had never been so nervous around somebody. He smiled down at me, nodding for me to go on. "Um, well, her dad is my dad, but her mom's not. Thank the Lord." I said. He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Could I maybe, get your number or something?" he asked quietly. I nodded, and handed him my phone. We sat on a large piece of driftwood and talked telling each other everything about our family and friends. He owned a mechanic shop with his best friend Jacob, and had a roommate named Quil, who was his other best friend. He didn't know his dad, had an old dog named Shep, and didn't have a girlfriend. _Yes! Yes yes yes! I love my life._ I thought. The sun was starting to set off over the ocean, and clouds were rolling in. Nan had called a few minutes earlier and told me that the house was clean enough for Tex to sleep there. Tex was my nickname for Avery, must to my father and Steph's dismay. _'like from Tex Avery, guys! Isn't it cute?' _

"Can I ask you a question?" Embry said. I nodded. "Do you uh, like, _feel _anything? Like, hmm, how do I explain it." He looked between us for a moment before becoming frustrated and looking out to the ocean.

"Like a magnet in your stomach?" I laughed. "Cause if that's it, then totally." He turned to me and smiled.

"Thats the perfect explanation." He looked at his feet thoughtfully, giving me some time to think of what I wanted to say next.

"Um, can I ask _you_ a question?" I looked up at him from under my bangs. His eyes were wide, and then he blinked and nodded, his dark face flushing a bit. I grinned. I just made this huge, gorgeous muscly guy blush. "Why'd ya jump off that cliff? Do you want to _end it all_ or something?" I said, dramatically putting my hand up to my forehead and leaning back, nearly falling off of the log. He reached back and steadied me before looking out to the churning ocean.

"Nah, I was just having a sucky morning and-"

"Whoa whoa whoa! So when you have suck ass days, you go and jump off of cliffs!?" I cried, jumping up.

"No! Thats not what I meant. We go cliff diving a lot, and I wanted to go. I just looked upset I guess cause I had a bad morning." He had pulled me down by my arm, his fingers intertwining with mine. I lifted our hands up, turning them over and examining them. "They look good together." I said, looking up at Embry to see him smiling. Whoa buddy, when had I ever been this forward with any man?

"They do. Maybe they should give each other their numbers?" I grinned at him and pulled my phone out.

"I think that's a great idea."


	5. Nicole Can Spell

Howdy folks! I know, it's been a while, hasn't it? I'm terribly sorry, but I have had a very busy summer. Doing absolutely nothing tends to take up a lot of time!

Alright, here's the deal. The only thing I own in this little doo-hickey is the people who's names aren't written in any Twilight books. So, get to reading, and enjoy!

Love, Abby. Xoxo.

* * *

Chapter Four

Nicole Can Spell...

_Abby Shale-age 22_

_Location - Home and the Beach_

I wrestled with the lid on a Gerber baby food jar which held some sort of squished sweet potato concoction in it, trying to open it so that Avery wouldn't starve. She sat in her little bouncy seat thing on the counter and gurgled happily, chewing on a little stuffed dog's head.

"Jesus, do they want babies to starve?" I mumbled under my breath, pulling a rubber jar opener out of the drawer and twisting it around the top of the can.

"What the hell are you doing?" Nicole laughed, taking the jar from me and twisting the lid off easily. "You have jar issues." she laughed. I grimaced at her.

"Yeah, well I loosened it for you." I said, snatching the jar and grabbing a baby spoon, dipping it into the gooey orange _stuff_ and making airplane noises so that Avery would eat it. The phone rang loudly, causing Avery to cringe at the noise and whimper. "Oh no. No, no no no! Don't cry, please! I'm begging you!" I wailed, lifting her out of her seat and bouncing her softly. "Nicole, could you get that before Tex here spontaneously combusts?" I cried over the loud old fashioned phone. Nicole laughed and rolled her eyes, skipping around me and lifting the phone up off of the hook.

"H 'lo? Yeah, this is Nicole, Abby's best friend speaking. Whatcha need young man?" she laughed and wiggled her fingers at a drooling Avery. "Yeah, she's right here. Kay." she held the phone out to me, and I switched Avery to my other hip and took the phone.

"Hi?" I said. There was a low chuckle in the phone.

"Hey Abby, It's Embry. I uh, thought I would call you today and see what you were up to?" I smiled at Nicole, who had her perfect blonde eyebrow raised, and waggled my fingers at her as I stepped out onto the back deck with Avery.

"Well, I was just shoving orange goo down my kid's throat. That's pretty much it.." I said, laughing softly. Embry was quiet for a second, and Avery squealed, grabbing at the phone cord that was stretched through the sliding door.

"Oh, okay. Well I was wondering if you would like to come out to the beach later tonight. There's gonna be a bonfire, but if you don't want to go its fi-"

"I'd love to go. I just need to find a babysitter. And could Nicole come too? I don't want to leave her out!" Embry chuckled on the other end of the line.

"Of course. I'll introduce you guys to everybody, you can make some new friends. Oh, and don't worry about Avery, she can stay with Emily and Sam's kids. Brady's little sisters are watching them all." he said.

"Uhh, I'm not very comfortable with leaving her with strangers.."

"Hey, well you can come out to Emily's today and meet them if that would help. And the house it really close to the beach, so we could walk up and check on her once in a while. You can leave early if you want, too." I smiled at how desperate he sounded.

"Well... I guess I could go for a little while. It sounds like it'll be fun." I laughed.

"Great! I'll be by around five to pick you guys up." I could hear his excitement, and it made me smile.

"Great. Later." I opened the sliding door and walked in the kitchen. "Nicole, I need something to wear!" Wow. I had never realized what a girl I was when it came to guys and looking good for them.

"Good lord, when did your boobs get so big! This shirt _should _fit you!" Nicole cried, ripping the offending garment off of me and rummaging through my wardrobe. "Oh! When did you get this?" she called, circling around and holding out an adorable blue jean dress. I shrugged.

"I bought it when I was in New York for that one shoot, I think. Never worn it." Nicole sighed and rolled her eyes at me, tossing the dress my way. I quickly pulled it over my head and pushed my chest out, testing to see if it would fit over my ta tas. "It fits!" I cried into the bathroom where Nicole was now rummaging through my makeup drawer.

"Good! Let's see!" I skipped into the bathroom and spun around for her as she picked at a loose hem and straightened the bottom of it. "Well well miss tom-boy. You look smokin'. Here, wear this eyeliner and mascara, okay? I know how much you hate makeup, so you don't have to wear eyeshadow or anything else. Oh, and wear those sandals that you have, the leather ones that are so cute. And maybe that necklace that I got you for your birthday? The one with the keys on it?" Nicole was moving around my room like a tornado, pulling out shoes and scarves, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings. I looked at my clock that hung on the wall. Four fifty seven.

"Oh my God! He's gonna be here soon!" I cried, grabbing my sandals and necklace. I picked Avery up out of her crib quickly and set her on my bed, grabbing a tiny pair of socks and a little ruffly white skirt that Nan had bought her. I put her tiny Uggs on her and a little jean jacket over her hot pink onesie. She let out a high pitched squeal of laughter as I whisked her down the stairs and handed her to Nicole. "I'll be right back, I have to get her car seat out of the car. Grab her bag for me and stick those bottles in it." Nicole saluted me as I sprinted out the door and into the garage. You see, getting an infant ready to leave is sort of a fiasco. Avery was being good today because I had just woken her up and she was probably half asleep and too tired to pitch a fit. I hurried back into the house and ran straight into Embry's chest, almost tipping over from the impact. His hands wrapped around my waist and the car seat, steadying me and taking the contraption from me.

"Hey." I said breathlessly, pushing my bangs out of my eyes. Embry smiled down at me.

"You don't need to be in such a rush. I would've waited on you." I rolled my eyes at him.

"It's rude to make people wait, you know. Besides, getting Avery ready to go is usually a long, drawn out procedure." he laughed and turned, taking the car seat out to his truck. I took Avery from Nicole and followed Embry to his car, strapping her into the seat and getting in the truck. I flopped into the seat, and Nicole leaned up into the front of the cab to open the mirror and check her makeup. "Honey, you look gorgeous, as usual." I said, sighing and checking my own makeup.

"Uhuh, but if the rest of the guys around here look like him, I want to look like a freaking model, you know?" I laughed and Embry pulled out of the driveway and followed the lane down to the main road. He drove us to a small blue house with bright flowers planted in the window boxes. We went in, and I talked with two girls who were about sixteen and were supposedly Brady's sisters about how to take care of Avery. I doubted they would have much trouble. She was an easy baby to take care of. She wasn't too fussy, and she didn't really freak out on people when I wasn't around. Embry left his truck parked at the house and we followed a small path down to the beach. When we got there, Nicole left me with Embry after she had met a few people and immediately started socializing with hot guys. I smiled to myself and followed Embry to the bonfire that glowed an eerie blue-green flame. The sun hadn't gone down yet, causing the flames to look even stranger against the gold sky.

"So, um, if I can ask..?" Embry sat down next to me on a large piece of driftwood and took a drink of his beer. "How come you have Avery? I mean, I know that her parents died, but how come you got her?" I looked out at the setting sun. Embry frowned at the face I was making. "Sorry, I don't mean to like, pry or anything.. I just wondered-"

"Oh no, I'm not upset. It's just a sort of sad story." I said as I stole his beer and took a drink. Embry reached for my hand, and I twined my fingers with his. "See, my mom and dad got a divorce when I was little. Mom, Luc, Danny and I moved a few hours away from him. I was a junior when mom died of pancreatic cancer, and dad decided to bring a date to her funeral, and she turned out to be my new step mom. Steph got pregnant my senior year of college, and then they go and die and leave me with a four month old and a practice and house to sell." Embry stared at me with his mouth hanging open slightly.

"Damn. You sure have been through a lot." I flicked my free hand down, motioning that it was no big deal.

"Nah. I mean, I had Nan and my brothers, and Nicole. Nan let me live with her until I finished school, and then I went to college. The twins were already in college when mom died, so they graduated and moved and got jobs. You know what they got when dad died?" Embry shrugged. "The dogs. They get fucking dogs, and I get a baby. Dad didn't even say 'Now boys, you need to help Abby with Avery.' But I mean, they do. " I said. He snorted.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have wanted anybody else to raise her, would you?" I shook my head. "There, see? You totally love Avery like she's your own, and you wouldn't have it any other way. I can see that and I've only known you for a few days." I smiled at him.

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"You guys!" Nicole came bouncing up the beach with a beer in one hand and a popsicle in the other. I grinned at her. "Are you all.." she lowered her voice. "romantically involved?" Embry blushed a deep red and looked at his feet.

"Nicole! Are you all.. drunk?" Nicole chucked her popsicle at me and ran down the beach with me on her heels.

"Abby and Embry- hiccup! Sitting on a tree, F-U-C-K-I-N-G!" she sang loudly, kicking sand up behind her. I tackled her and sat on her with my knees on her shoulders, tipping her beer over her face and letting it drip.

"Nicole, I'm going to tell you once. You. Are. Drunk. Stop being a douche!" She squealed and threw her shoulders up, knocking me off of her and rolling in the sand. I heard Embry laughing as his hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me up.

"Dude, she's a wild drunk." he chuckled. I glared at him.

"Yeah, she'll be roaming the streets if we don't wrangle her and lock her in my bathroom for a few good hours." He turned and looked at Nicole who was making 'sand angels'.

"You take my keys, and open the door on my truck. I'll carry her to the car, and then we can go pick up Avery." I took the keys from his hand and he crept up to Nicole. "Nicole," he said, crouching next to her. "you wanna go for a piggy back ride?" Nicole nodded enthusiastically, and Embry bent to pick her up, but she scrambled backwards in the sand.

"No, I wanna ride him!" she said, pointing to a large, tan man that was further down the beach. "I wanna ride him all night long.." Nicole trailed off, her eyes fluttering shut. Embry took that moment to pick her up and sling her over his shoulder while shaking from laughter. We trudged up the hill to his car and Embry put Nicole in the back seat while I went in a gathered Avery and all of her things together. Embry met me at the door and took Avery's bag from my arms so that I could cradle her to my chest easier. He smiled at me.

"You're so good at that." he said quietly, opening the door for me so I could place Avery in her car seat.

"Good at what?" I asked. He pointed at Avery, sleeping soundly in her seat while I buckled her in.

"Being her mom. You're a natural." he smiled I laughed quietly and shut the door, going around to mine and getting in. Embry drove us back to my house, pulling into the drive way. I got out and hurriedly unlocked the door so that Embry could carry Nicole to her room. He went out to get Avery and her stuff while I took Nicole's shoes and jeans off, tucking her into bed in her favorite t-shirt. "Hey Abby?" Embry was standing at the top of the staircase. "Where do I put her?" I nodded my head towards my door and led him into my room. He gently placed Avery in my arms and I laid her down on my bed, taking her skirt, onesie, and tiny boots off. I grabbed her pyjamas off of my dresser and dressed her in them. Her eyes popped open and she smiled sleepily at me. I smiled at her and kissed her tiny cheek and smoothing her wild hair down. I placed her in her crib gently and turned to Embry, who was watching me carefully. I took his hand and walked him to the front door, stopping and looking at him.

"I had a great time tonight." I said quietly. Good lord, I felt like a fucking teenager. Embry smiled.

"So did I. I'll uh.. call you tomorrow?" he blushed. I smirked.

"A guy who calls the day after? Wow, you must really like me." He grinned.

"Yeah. I do." And then he left. No goodnight. No bye. Just a grin. Well, two can play that game. But what game were we playing, exactly?


End file.
